author: "TexGamer". some very nice architecture in this level. structures
here and there were excellent, particularly the 'rafters' section where the
ogres were (along with about five full backpacks of scattered ammo). lots
of visible seams between brushes, however. the level overall was far too
dark to be enjoyable; gloomy is one thing, but near-blackness is yet another...
especially when a key-entry door is buried in this darkness. i don't think i
would have known it was there if i hadn't run into it accidentally. required
items (the aforementioned gold key, for instance) should NEVER be put in 'secret'
areas, no matter how easy the area is to find. plus, if it's that easy to find,
should it really be marked as a secret? some of the lighting effects were
interesting and really well done (the flashing entrance to the underwater
tunnel, for one). overall, this level could probably have used some very strong
and very thorough beta-testing before release; most of the blemishes would have
been found and corrected.

author: "Dennis". a short level with some pretty good action, though the plethora
of weapons makes it a bit easy. you'll get some serious slowdown after exiting
the second teleporter. you also have to shoot a button to reveal "the secret
exit", which i never found... i suppose it's a really good secret.

author: Swen Klemund. if the title of this level doesn't sound familiar, the
file name should already have given it away... yep, this is a strikingly well-done
conversion of Doom 2 map 04 to Quake. the monster mix is a bit on the heavy side
(chaingunners in packs were bad enough, but at least they'd shoot each other;
enforcers don't), and the key progression was kind of odd (since Doom 2 used
three keys and Quake's only got two), but everything else has been wonderfully
done. from the textures and the size, to the teleporter and the water pit, this
is how The Focus should have looked and played in the first place. (if the folks
running the Doom TC are reading this, you'd best get this level and get Swen on
the project, if he isn't already.) a great job, and much fun. (note: the only
reason this level didn't get the TLKA is because it wasn't an original design...
yes, it's that good.)

Dead Simple

DOOM2_07.ZIP -- 143k27 apr 1997

author: Swen Klemund. yep, it's a Quake conversion of map07, but this
time, instead of mancubi and baby spiders, it's ogres and vore. the
same layout, dimensions, and textures as the original. might be fun
in deathmatch, too, but without the BFG, i wonder how much different
it'll be. fun, but (as much as i hate to say it) i've seen it before.

<no rating>

Tricks and Traps

DOOM2_08.ZIP -- 565k27 apr 1997

author: Swen Klemund. another Doom2 conversion, this time of map08. unlike
the previous two conversions, however, this level suffers from extreme
slowdown, especially in the starting area... with eight door entities facing
all eight directions, that's hardly surprising. what was surprising, though,
were the RAM warnings and "packet overflow" messages. some
entertaining substitutions, but all in all, this one looks and plays pretty
much like it's predecessor.

author: Jacob Fike. this level comes with the "rain" QuakeC modification in an
embedded .zip file. while it doesn't need to be played with the rain
patch (i didn't), a number of error messages scroll up the screen if you don't.
at the beginning, the player is nearly surrounded by sky, which means you can
clearly see the "sky spawn spot" all around. this level runs very choppily
throughout. the weapons have been done well for both placement and selection,
but the ammo's kinda sparse; i had to axe my way through the last monster,
which wasn't a pleasant experience. this level is a good start, but some of the
mechanics (most notably playing speed) need work.

author: Steve Rescoe. this .zip contains two levels -- DRAKOPF.BSP and
DRAKOPF2.BSP. they are designed to be played in order, and they work very well
together. Drakopf starts quietly enough in an empty room, and the author gives
you the super shotgun and a couple boxes of shells right away. for some
reason, this type of largesse by an author always makes me a bit nervous; why
does he think i'm going to need them so soon? this level is a large, gloomy
(read: dimly-lit and moody; visibility is poor, but you can still see) outdoor
area with more of Rescoe's excellent lighting. this time, it's torches on the
ends of banisters. one bad thing about the first level -- i hate having to
shoot or axe open a required door. the action is fast and furious but not
overwhelming... unless you're stupid or overly-aggressive, in which case the
monster mix should finish you off quite nicely and quickly. he sure likes
knights (both types) in this level, but considering the close quarters of
quite a bit of this level, they are an effective choice. two secrets in this
level (neither of which i found) and only fourteen monsters, but you'd swear it
was more.

Drakopf 2 starts by a 'moat' of sorts, and here the author gives us the head of
some beast (a dragon?) to look at and be impressed by. and it's pretty
impressive. as i jumped over the moat, though, i sadly caught a significant
amount of GreyFlash on the left-hand side of the screen. it came out to about
20% of FOV. brilliantly crafted both thematically and architecturally; this
author has no problem implementing a theme and carrying it through completely.
the structures and hallways and passageways and balconies and windows and
spiral stairs and ramps were first-rate. this would have been my second
five-star level if not for that GreyFlash, but in any case, both these levels
are mighty fun. Rescoe is another author that i'll be on the lookout for in
future.

Drastic Falls

DRASTIC.ZIP21 jan 1997

author: Mark Wheeler. lots of stuff in this archive -- 35 files in 4
directories; pkunzip -d (or just use WinZip) will do the trick. this archive
contains it's own config.cfg file, which i found mildly irritating, as i had
to go to the trouble of copying my config file over it. the architecture in
this level runs the gamut from claustrophobic to tall and narrow to... well,
just about every type of cluttered architecture is present. interesting,
though, especially with all the next textures (some of which are very nicely
done) and monsters. speaking of monsters, this level is solely populated by
new monsters -- manga, bazooka, blarg, snakeman, and drone. oh, and let's
not forget the cameo by bob dole (which, i must admit, was pretty funny).
unfortunately, the dynamics of the new monsters weren't taken into
consideration when placing them, because this level is almost impossibly
difficult. taking on four manga babes and the bazooka girl in a dark,
cramped, and cluttered area ain't my idea of a good time. the title of the
level, as seen on the status bar, completely overlaps everything on the bottom
row. not many purely technical errors (other than that), but this map is easily
the most frustrating one i have ever played. i'm looking forward to more
effective (and more playable) uses of these monsters, especially the drone.

author: Mark 'Fubar' Wheeler. as the title indicates, this is a lodge-type
setting, which has been very well done in regards to theme -- everything i'd
think would be in a lodge (never having been to a real one myself) is in here.
the monster mix is really light for this size of level, though. flow is adequate,
though there really isn't a clear "linearity" to this level. has a bunch of new
textures, some of which are rather well done and some of which appear to have
been borrowed from Doom 2. there are numerous brush seams evident in this level,
however. this level might be fun for deathmatch, but for single-player only, it
lacked something.

a "full" version of this level, with a slew of new monsters and weapons, is also
available; since it's a four meg download, though, i was interested in reviewing
the playing areas before i played against the new monsters. personally, i don't
think having new monsters and weapons in this level would alter the basic flow
and architecture very much, and the gameplay itself, though changed with the new
monsters, would remain largely unaltered.

The Downward Spiral

DSPIRAL.ZIP1 jan 1997

author: Stan C. some spectacular architecture in this level, including the
rope bridge with the hole in it, the whirlpool, and the stalactites. the
whirlpool's a great concept, but i got stuck in it numerous times at one of
the brush junctures. being trapped and killed by a scrag because i can't move
or fight back is not one of my favorite pastimes. parts of this level are
visually stunning, and i was most impressed with the stalactites. there is
one really brutal trap in this level, but you can see it if you keep your eyes
open. the endgame is slightly predictable. it took me a very long time to find
a weapon other than the shotgun in this level; they're there, but they're placed
in somewhat hard to find places. this level is very large, with some enormous
areas, but since the author has resisted the siren song of heavy detail, the
entire level runs very smoothly, without the wide variances in frame rate that
i've experienced in too many other levels. all in all, a good level, but that
critical 'tension' just wasn't in this one... and while it's technically superior
to most of the levels i've played, it is rather static.

Dextromethorphan

DXMF.ZIP -- 747k12 jul 1997

author: Zied Rieke. this level has been done in the "military base" style.
the architecture throughout this level has been done extremely convincingly and
adheres well to the theme. there are some "natural" areas, and they also
have been done well. the monster mix is pretty much base standard with a smattering
of fiends and shamblers. pacing and flow is good, but the level is a bit non-linear;
since it is a bit complex, it is somewhat easy to become disoriented. the weapon
placement and pacing is good; you never want for a weapon or ammunition. the first
major courtyard does exhibit a significant amount of slowing, making it difficult
to play through; this is due to the amount of detail the author has included. in
addition, the level slows in odd places (i.e., there doesn't seem to be enough
detail in view to justify the speed hit). overall, a level worth playing, but
something felt like it was missing...

note: if you're curious as to what Dextromethorphan
really is (like i was), check out this
Dextromethorphan FAQ. you know, it's times like this that i really love
the internet...